Monument record MDO4701 - Manor Farm, Church Lane, Silton

A farmhouse built in the nineteenth century, with attached ranges of 17th- and 18th-century date, now outbuildings. The main building is of ashlar with a slate roof and brick chimney stack covered in render. The older ranges are built of coursed, squared rubble.

The manor of Silton is mentioned in Domesday and descended through various families before passing to Richard Willoughby (d.1523). Coker (circa 1625) remarks upon the "fair new house of Mr. Willoughby".

"In a field adjoining the churchyard (which) was formerly the park of the old manor-house, now destroyed, are the remains of the ancient fishponds …" <1>

The present modern farmhouse at ST 78242924 presents no features of antiquity. The fishponds mentioned in <1> are in a plantation called Pond Head Plantation, 400 yds. North-east of the farm. A small one on the north side of the plantation at ST 78542946 is 48.0m. Long and 14.0m. Wide at the east end, narrowing towards the west. The waterlogged pond is 1.7m. Deep with a bank of upcast 8.0m. Wide and 2.0m. High along its north side.

The south pond at ST 78542942 is rectangular, 120m. East-west by 50m. North-south. The upcast has probably been used to form the east and west sides where there are massive banks 10.0m. Wide and 2.0m. High. The average depth of the pond is 1.7m. A stream flews through it from west to east, entering and leaving by gaps in the banks. The ponds are not readily dateable. <2>

"Several generations of my family have lived at the present Manor Farm and I have always understood that the house was built on the site of the old manor house". <2.1>

ST 78252925. Manor Farmhouse of two storeys with aslar and rubble walls is of the 19th century. Adjacent to the house, on the east, is an 18th century cottage and further east is a 17th century building, presumably the former farmhouse, now a dairy. <4>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1870, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 4, 102-6 (Monograph). SDO17392.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 02-FEB-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<2.1> Harris, J D, 1955, Oral: Mr J D Harris (owner), Manor Farm, silton (Verbal communication). SDO17587.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 782292) Manor Farm (NAT)

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1972, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume IV (North), 79 (Monograph). SDO99.

‘(6) MANOR FARM (78252925), house and outbuildings, is two-storeyed and has walls of ashlar and of rubble, and slated and tiled roofs. The present farmhouse is of the 19th century; it has a symmetrical S. front of ashlar, in three bays with a central doorway and with sashed windows. Adjacent on the E. is an 18th-century cottage with a rubble S. front of two bays. Further E. is a 17th-century building, presumably the former farmhouse, now used as a dairy; it has walls of coursed rubble and a centrally placed ashlar chimney-stack with moulded capping.’

<5> National Record of the Historic Environment, 202311 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Feb 8 2022 11:29AM